Lime-distributer.



A. R5. KLEIN. LIME DISTRIBUTBR. APPLIqjATVIKoNVrILED"MAY 19,1230@lPATBNTBD DEG. 25,1906I THE Nouns PETERS co.. wAsHlNaruN. D. c

UNITED STATES y`PirrENr OFFICE.

LIME-DISTRIBUTER.

Specification Aof Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 25, 1906.

. Applicationnednay10,1906. seriaINo. 316,200.

To a/ZZ whom it may con/cern,.-

Be it known that I, ALEXIS R. KLEIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Frederick, in the county of Frederick and State of Maryland,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lime-Distributers;and I dofdeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as'will enable others skilled in 'theart to which it appertains to make and use the same. f

This invention relates to fertilizer-distributers; and one of theprincipal objects of the same is to provide improved feeding means forthe fertilizing material.

Another object is to provide means for re ulating the quantity offertilizer to be distri uted upon the ground.

I Still another object of my invention is to provide a rotatingscatterer and two,J feedtubes for conveying the fertilizer material uponopposite sides of the axis of said scatterer in order to insure auniform and constant application of fertilizer to the land as thevmachine is drawn over the field.

Still another object is to provide means whereby the quantlty ofmaterial distributed may be regulated and also means for indicatingthequantity to be distributed.

elevation of the same.

Still another object is to provide means for screening the fertilizerlwhen it -is placed in the hopper by means of a sieve at the top of thehopper. l

These and other objects ,arel attained by means of the constructionillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- IFigure 1 is a rearelevation of a machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side Fig. 3is a transverse vertical section of the same. Fig. 4 is a longitudinalsection of the same. Fig. 5 is a lan view of the broadcast wheel orscatterer. ig. 6 is `a detail plan view looking into one portion of thehopper. Fig. 7 is a detail view of the operating parts Aandfeed-regulating devices. Fig. 8 is a detail section of one of thefeeding-tubes and the rotating disk for regulating the quantity ofmaterial fed theref through. Fig. 9 vis a plan view of the upper portionofthe feed-tube and `showing one form of feeding-disk' for rotatingtherein.

Fig. 10 shows a modified form of feeding-disk. l Fig. 11 shows a still-further modified form of said disk. Fig. 12 is a perspective detailview of a further modified form of feeding-disk.

Referring to the accompanying drawings f or a more particulardescription of my invention,the numeral 1 designates the frameworkof themachine, mounted upon bearingwheels 2, said wheels being fixed to anaxle 3, mounted in the side frame-bars 4 of the machine.

Supported upon upright bars 5 and diagonal braces 5 is a hopper 6 forreceiving the pulverized fertilizer material, and in the upper portionof said hopper is la screen or sieve 7, the purpose of which is toscreen the material before it is fed into the machine. The vhopper 6 atits lowervside is contracted by means of the side pieces 8 and theinclined end pieces 9. An aperture 10'is formed in each end of thehopper in order that access may be gained to the compartments l1, whichis designed to contain the necessary tools for repairing and adjustingthe various parts of the' machine. vMounted in bearings 5', near thebottom of the hopper 6, is an agitator-shaft 12, provided withradially-project- .ing pins 13 for breaking up the fertilizer materialand insuring uniform feed.

On the shaft 12 is a bevel-gear 14, inclosed within a housing 15 andadapted to engage a similar gear. 16 on a vertical shaft 17,` journaledina longitudinal bar 18, said shaft 17 comprising upper and lower-sections and having upon its lower section a crown-gear or pinion 19.`A beveledpinion 20 is mounted to slide upon this upper section of shaft17. On the lower section of shaft 17 is a pinion 20X, which can beadjusted by means of a collar 21 and set-screw 22. Mounted upon ltheshaft 3 is a disk 23, provided with a se- .l ries ofconcentrically-arranged gear-teeth 24,

said disk being `held into engagement with one of the beveled gears 20by means of a spring 25, mounted ina sleeve 26 and bearing against thehub of the disk 23. The purpose of this device is to adjust the speed ofthe rotating arts which feed anddrop the fertilizer, an by regulatingthe speed of the rotating parts the quantity of material fed is alsoregulated.

Secured upon each of the shafts 31 within the casings 27 is a collar orsleeve 31X, and integral with each collar is a disk or wheel 29,

having spaced radial recesses 30, four being IOO lss

the curved sides of the recesses are vertical' webs 29 which form sweepsto conduct the material into f the* conductor-tubes 28, as

hereinafter shown. A plurality of controllingplates 32 are provided tobe attached one ata time to each of theshafts 315, the plates havingone, two, three, or four recesses corresponding to the recesses 30 ofthe wheels 29, as shown, by which means the quantities of the material.passing to the conductor-tubes 28 may be regulated.

In Fig. 12 a platef having four of the recesses is shown and conformingto the recesses 30 of the wheel'29. In Fig. 9 a plate havingthreerecesses' 34 is shown, with the plate. solid or without a recess at oneside, as at32a.' onlytwo recesses 34a at opposite sides, the remainderof the platel being solid,` as shown at-32b. In Fig. 11 a plate' isshownwith one Vrecess only yat 34h, theremainderof the plate being solid, asat 32.

The-outer` edges ofthe solid portions 32, 32,1?, andI 32?` are segmentsof circles corresponding toy theiinteriors of the casings 27, so thatthey operate close enough thereto to prevent the passage of thefertilizer material exceptthroughthe recesses 34, 34a, or 34h, as thecase ma be. Thus when the four recessed plates (s own in Fig. 12) arepositioned upony the wheels y29 four pockets are formed to receive thematerial, which is conducted to the discharge-tubev28 by the rotation ofthe shafts 31 and their attached wheels and plates. On the other hand,when the plates with one recess 341? only,l as shown in Fig. 11, areemployed one pocket only is produced and a correspondingly-limitedquantity of thematerial will pass through the feeding-devices' at eachrevolution of each shaft. ner three of the pockets are produced by usingthe plate shown in Fig. 9 and two feedpockets produced by using thevplate shown in Fig. 10. The `quantity of the material caused to passthrough the discharge-tubes at each revolution of the shafts is thuseasily controlled. The sleeves 31 extend above the wheels 29 and areprovided in the extended portions with set-screws to enable the wheelsto be detaehably coupled to the shafts 31. Each ofthe controlling-plates32 is `provided with an aperture 35- for bearing over the extended upperends of the sleeves 31X, and `each aperture is provided with a radialrecess communicating therewith to beariover the set-screws. Thecontrollingplates 32 are further secured to the wheels 29 bythumb-screws 36. Secured to the cen- In Fig.y 10 a plate is shown havingIt will be obvious that in a like mantral shaft 17 is a chain-wheel 40,and mounted for rotation at opposite sides of the chainwheel areidler-rollers 41, and passing around the chain-wheels 38 on the lowerends of the shafts 31 is an endless chain 39, the chain also bearingagainst the idlers 41 and the opposite sides of the chain-wheel 40. Bythis simple means it is obvious that the rotary movement of the shaft 17is simultaneously communicated to the shafts 31 of the feeding mechanismassociated therewith.

Depending from the frame of the machine between the bearing-wheels is atmnsverselyg extending box or casing 42, supported upon rods 43 andprovided at opposite sides with swinging end boards 44, said end boardsbeing suspended from pivoted links 45, so that as the machine passesover the ground said end boards will automatically raise and lower toalways keep the ends of the box 42 closed. The front and rear ends ofthe box 42 are provided with hinged depending lids 46 and 46X. Thebottom of the box.42 is open, and the fertilizer is dropped through thebottom of this box. The broadcast wheel or scat terer, Fig. 5, consistsof a disk 47 and a series of radial arms 48, secured thereto, said armseach having a central partition or rib 49 .and a central hub 50, throughwhich the shaft 58 passes, said hub being fixed to said shaft to rotatetherewith. It is to be noted that the feed-tubes 28 extend through theupper portion of the box 42 and deposit the material upon the broadcastwheel or scattercr 47 at opposite sides of its axis, the result o fwhich is that the material is uniformly thrown outward to spread auniform quantity of material upon the ground within the limits of thebox 42. It is also to be noted that the feed or iiow of the fertilizermaterial may be regulated by means of the disks 32 and also by means ofthe beveled gears 2() and 20X, the upper one of which is adapted to beadjusted to any one of the series of rows of concentric teeth 24 toregulate the speed of the rotating parts by means of the link 51,connected at one end to a sliding indicator-bar 52, adapted to slidewithin the slot in the indicator 53, secured to the rear side of thehopper. T o move the links 51 and shift the upper gear 20, a lever 54 isprovided. To shift the wheel 23 into and out of operative connectionwith the gear 20, a lever 55 is connected to the sleeve 56 at one sideof the wheel 23, said lever being provided with a rack 56X, secured tothe frame of the machine, as shown in Fig. 7. The crown gear-wheel 19imparts motion to a pinion 57, mounted upon a shaft 58, to which thebroadcast wheel or scatterer is secured. Upon the axle 3, justinside thewheels, are oppositely-arranged springclutches 59X, as shown in Fig. 1.

The operation of my machine may be described as follows: The fertilizermaterial to be distributed is placed within the hopper 6,

IOO

lIO

I being first screened `lby they -sieve 74. The

- through the tubes 28, through which the macogged disk 23 is thrown outof gear with the pinion until it is ready to feed the material, thelever 55 then being operated to engage the gear 20 with one of theseries of teeth on the disk 23. As the vehicle'is drawn over the groundthe axle 3 revolves, and this movement is communicated to `all therotatingv parts. The agitator 12, having the radial pins 13 insures thatthe fineparticles of fertilizer will drop into the feed-wheels at oposite sides of the center at the bottom of t e iopper and be fed in auniform quantity terial is deposited upon the broadcast-wheel orscatterer-disk 47, from which the material is uniformly thrown outwardby means of the ribs 49 on the radial larms 48.L In order to regulatethe feed, any one of `the disks 32 shown in Figs. 10,11 may besubstituted for that shown in Figs. 8, 9. When the feed has beenadjusted, the quantity being distributed will be indicated upon theindicator. 53, as will be understood. End boards 44 prevent the materialfrom blowing away after it has been thrown from the broadcast wheel orscatterer, said end boards riding over the uneven ground and dropping bygravity,'asv

will be understood.

Various changes in the form, proportion,

and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the prinj ciple or sacrificing anyl of the advantages ofthis invention.

Having thus fully described invention,

\ what I claim as new, and desire to secure by 1 In afertilizer-distributer, a hopper, feedchambers communicatin with saidhopper' and provided with discarge -'tubes, feedwheels rotative in saidchambersand provided with spaced radial recesses and operatl ing toconduct the material from the hopper a shaft extending through saidchamber, a'

to the discharge tubes, and controllingplates having recessescorresponding to some of the recesses in said Wheels and with unrecessedportions for closing the remaining recesses of the Wheels. 1

2. In a fertilizer-distributer, a hopper, a cylindrical feed chambercommunicating with said hopper and provided with a discharge-tubeextending centrally therefrom,

wheel carried by said shaft within said chamber and provided with spacedradial recesses and tangential depending Wings, controllingy' i platesbearing upon said wheel and having recesses extending to some of therecesses therein and with unrecessed portions closing .the remainingrecesses 1n the Wheelmeans for detachably connecting said plates to saidWheel, and means for rotating said shaft and e the Wheel and platecarried thereby.

3.- In a fertilizer-distributer, a hopper, a cylindrical chambercommunicating with said'hopper'andprovided with a dischargetubeyextending centrally therefrom, a Wheel operating said chamber andprovided with spaced radial' recesses and tangential depending-wings,controlling-plates bearing lupon saiy sponding to some of the recessestherein andl wheel and having recesses correwith unrecessed portionsclosing the remainin recesses in the wheel, means fordetachabzlyconnecting said plates to said Wheel, and means for rotating said Wheeland the plate carried thereby.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, a

supporting frame, an axle carried by said frame,"bearin -Wheels carriedby said axle and rotative t erewith, a guard device consisting of arectangular casing suspended from said frame and open at the l'owerside, a hopper carried by said frame, feed-chambers spaced apart andcommunicating with said hopper, dischargetubes leading from said,chambers and converging toward the center of the frame and entering saidguard device, a distributer means disposed within said guard deviceinposition to receive the material from said discharge device, feedingdevices Within said feed chambers, and means operativefrom said axle forsimultaneously operating said feeding devices and distributing devlces.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, a

supporting frame, an axle carried by said l frame, bearin -Wheelscarried by said axle and lrotative t erewith, a guard device consistingof a rectangular casing suspended `from said frame and open at the lowerside,

a hopper carried by said frame, feed-chambers spaced apart andcommunicating with said hopper, discharge-tubes leading fromsaidchambers and converging toward the center of said frame and enteringsaid guard device, shafts spaced apart and operating IOS through saidfeed-chambers, a central shaft mounted for rotation and extending intosaid guard device, a distributing device carried by saidvcentral shaftWithin said guard device, feed devices carried by said spaced shaft andoperative within said feed-chambers, means for transmitting the'motionof said axle to said central shaft', and means for transmitting themotion of said central shaft simul- 'having radial recessescorrespondingto some IIO . ofthereeesses .in said wheels .and unreeessed In testimonywhereot1 I have hereunto set portions olosing the remainder of thewheelmy hand in presence of two subscribing wit- 1o recesses, a Centralshaft between said feednesses.

chamber shafts, means vfor transmitting the e Y i motion of the aXle tosaid central shaft, and ALEXIS R KLEU\` means for transmitting themotion ofsaid Witnesses:

central shaftsimultaneously to said feed- J. TRAVERS THOMAS,

Y chamber shafts J os. MCDIVIT.

